Julius Kühn Institute (JKI)

Densely dotted golden furrow bee (Halictus Subauratus) on hawkweed. © H. Greil/JKI Institute for Bee Protection

4 current #paper co-authored by our colleagues from the JKI Institute for #Bee Protection on #pollinator #research:
🐝 tinyurl.com/ytpnsxfr
🐝 tinyurl.com/2a9s4uyn
🐝 tinyurl.com/55xdsf5c
🐝 tinyurl.com/4xzscnzx
Congratulations on the #publication!

Neues Forschungsgebiet „Anwendungsstrategien biologischer Pflanzenschutz“

New #Research Field: “Application Strategies for Biological Plant Protection” at the JKI Institute for #Biological #Control. Led by Dr Paluch, the research will address the systemic integration of biological #plant protection into future-oriented cropping systems.
www.julius-kuehn.de/bi/aktuelles...

Phenological cycle and key features of 2025 at the bee monitoring sites. Recurring vegetation phases during the year are closely linked to weather and climate, so sampling dates are strongly tied to phenology. © JKI, Institute for Bee Protection

🐝 #MonViA - News from #beemonitoring in agricultural landscapes: The Institute for Bee Protection at the JKI has completed the second year of piloting a long-term monitoring programme for #bees in #agricultural landscapes.
🔗 (German): tinyurl.com/3hr3w46v

Journal of Cultivated Plants: Regenerative agriculture – an approach for a science based definition.

Journal of Cultivated Plants on #Regenerative #agriculture – an approach for a #science based #definition.
The term is also seen as an approach to implementing political guidelines such as the European Farm-to-Fork Strategy or the German Arable Farming Strategy.
Read: doi.org/10.5073/JfK....

We're pleased to share our latest publication in the PFG Journal of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Science, demonstrating how the JKI Data Cube contributes to Germany's research data infrastructure through FAIRagro.
Full paper: doi.org/10.1007/s410...
More info: t1p.de/x80k9

Vielen Dank für die Aufnahme im Starterpack! :)

Prof Dr Benjamin Stich, Head of the Institute for Breeding Research on Agricultural Crops. Photo: J. Kaufmann/JKI

Maize before flowering. The Institute for Breeding Research on Agricultural Crops promotes the systematic development of plant genetic resources. On that account, we apply and elaborate current methods of breeding research to widen the genetic basis of specific crops and focus on aspects like “resilient plants”, “product quality” and “renewable raw materials”. Photo: Frank Höppner/JKI

🌽 Genetic variation at transcription factor binding sites largely explains phenotypic heritability in #maize. New #paper co-authored by Prof Dr Benjamin Stich, Head of the JKI Institute for Breeding #Research on Agricultural Crops, published in #Nature Genetics:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#corn

Germany is worldwide one of the largest hop (Humulus lupulus L.) producers, an essential crop for the brewing industry. However, infections caused by viruses and viroids can severely impact hop yield and quality. Photo: G. Leefken/JKI

Identified viruses and viroids in all sample pools over three years. Image: A. Pasha A, G. Schrader, H. Ziebell/JKI.

🌿 #Hop (Humulus lupulus L.), vital to brewing, was studied for #virus and viroid diversity in Germany. Ali Pasha, Gritta Schrader & Heiko Ziebell found low diversity: 4 viruses, 2 viroids; CBCVd only in Hallertau (2021–2023).
📄 doi.org/10.1371/jour...
#PLOSOne #hopvirome #research #brewingindustry

Development and efficacy of dsRNA pesticides targeting the Colorado potato beetle with enhanced stability via chitosan formulations - Graphical abstract.

Dr Khalid Amari Baba, Head of the working group Epigenetics and RNAi in plant biotechnology, JKI Institute for Biosafety in Plant Biotechnology.

Development and efficacy of dsRNA pesticides targeting the Colorado potato beetle with enhanced stability via chitosan formulations. RNAi targeting the PSMB5 gene in Colorado potato beetles showed strong gene silencing and larval suppression.
📄 doi.org/10.1016/j.pe...
#CPB #biopesticide #newpaper

Exploring Genetic Resources for Winter Annual Caraway (Carum Carvi) and the Potential of Winter Annual Cultivation to Encounter Climate Change. Photo: Frank Marthe/JKI

Dr Daniel von Maydell, JKI Institute for Breeding Research on Horticultural Crops. Photo: Johannes Kaufmann/JKI

Climate change affects spring-sown #caraway. Autumn-sown winter annuals may stabilise yields by using cool-season rain. Trials found 26 genotypes with good winter survival. Higher sowing density raised yields. Wet years caused seed shattering issues.
📄 papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
#Carumcarvi

Led by Vid Švara and his team Salena Husband, Silvio Erler and Christoph Kartheuser. Thank you to everyone involved for their dedication and enthusiasm in the field!

Last week marked the launch of the sunflower field experiment in Quedlinburg, Germany.

HelEx project: The trial focuses on assessing biodiversity across different sunflower varieties.

🌻 Led by Vid Švara and team, supported by JKI, the trial focuses on assessing #biodiversity across different #sunflower varieties. This initiative plays a key role in advancing our understanding of how genetic diversity in sunflowers can impact agroecosystem resilience.
#HelExProject #HorizonEurope

New website for the International Common Bunt Consortium.

We’re pleased to share that the International Common Bunt Consortium #ICBC now has its own website! #CommonBunt #TilletiaCaries is a seed-borne disease of wheat. We received reports that the disease spread even more widely across Germany, Europe and the world.
wissen.julius-kuehn.de/ICBC/

The Sporeglue project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity has recently started at the Institute of Biological Control. In collaboration with the DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials and the companies e-nema and SeSam-Biotech, biadhesive peptides will be used to increase the rainfastness of biological plant protection agents. The focus is on the fungal organisms Clonostachys rosea and Trichoderma harzianum, antagonists of gray rot (Botrytis cinerea) on strawberries. In addition, we intend to adhere spores of entomopathogenic fungi to leaf surfaces using the biadhesive peptides. The challenge here is to ensure that the spores adhere sufficiently so that they are not washed off by rain, but also that they detach from the leaf on contact with a harmful insect and stick to the insect, ultimately infecting and killing it.

The JKI #Sporeglue project, funded by bmleh.de has recently started. In collaboration with the DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials and the companies e-nema and SeSam-Biotech, bioadhesive peptides will enhance the #rainfastness of biological plant protection agents.
tinyurl.com/3mk9cc62

Heat waves reveal additive genetic effects leading to sunburn resilience of grapevine berries. Photo: Julia Fuchs/JKI

🍇 #Heat wave genetic mapping in #grapevines uncovers two major QTLs on chromosomes 10 and 11 that significantly boost berry #sunburn resilience. Insights into key gene candidates pave the way for marker assisted breeding of sunburn tolerant, #fungus resistant #vineyards.
📄 tinyurl.com/yf2nm6sp

🗣️ The Commission would like to hear your views. This draft act is open for feedback until 17 July 2025: tinyurl.com/3rt2ewce

🐝 Standardising bee sampling: A systematic review of pan trapping and associated floral surveys: doi.org/10.1002/ece3...

Pan traps are especially useful for sampling bees simultaneously across replicated sites. Photo by Johannes Kaufmann/JKI

Variation in floral density may bias pan trap results, but evidence for this bias presented in the revised EUPoMS is not robust. Photo: Institute for Bee Protection/JKI

The revised EU Pollinator Monitoring Scheme #EUPoMS suggests standardised methods, but lacks strong evidence for key choices. The authors from JKI urge clarification on excluding pan traps to maintain scientific integrity and public trust in the scheme.
doi.org/10.26786/192...
tinyurl.com/3rt2ewce

New EU research project BreedingValue aims to develop new breeding strategies for resilient and nutritious berries

#BreedingValue: The JKI Institute for Breeding Research on Fruit Crops contributed its extensive genebank collections of strawberry cultivars and wild Fragaria species for phenotypic and genetic characterization.
🎬 Results: tinyurl.com/2h83vmn5
Project: tinyurl.com/ye8erhey and tinyurl.com/yhfxrvy2

Proyecto Agroecológico Colombo-Alemán with Prof. Dr. Johannes Jehle (JKI), Dr. Dietrich Stephan (JKI), Dr. Annette Herz (JKI), Juliet Daniela Aranibar Luna (JKI) and Maximilian Pink (JKI). Many thanks to Prof. Dr. Johannes Jehle and team for the inspiring exchange on biological pest control! Photo by Virna Moran/JKI

Proyecto Agroecológico Colombo-Alemán: Colombian delegates from agroecological organizations met with our researchers from the JKI Institute for Biological Control in Dossenheim. Photo by Virna Moran/JKI

As part of a knowledge exchange and study visit on #organic #agriculture and #agroecology organised by #GOPA_AFC, Colombian delegates from agroecological organizations met with our researchers from the JKI Institute for Biological Control in #Dossenheim.
#PACA: paca.com.co
tinyurl.com/2vy83yjc

Sealing smarter, saving soils: Soils provide a wide range of ecosystem services. Germany therefore targets 30 ha/day by 2030, zero by 2050, aiming for no net land take in a circular land use model. Graphic by EEA (European Environment Agency)

Sealing smarter: Soils provide a wide range of ecosystem services. A novel remote sensing–based #study now demonstrates how Earth Observation can support both quantitative and qualitative monitoring of #soil #sealing on #agricultural land. #EEA
Use Case: tinyurl.com/mr248mwb
📄: tinyurl.com/5x2yet7h

Damage to rapeseed roots caused by cabbage fly (Delia floralis) infestation. Photo: Ulrike Busch/JKI

Myzus persicae on oilseed rape. Photo: Maria Kern/JKI

Poster for the Res4StRes Project: Modern Breeding Research for Climate- and Site-Adapted Crops of Tomorrow. Image: ÖPV/JKI

#Res4StRes #project start: Developing novel resources for resistance breeding in oilseed rape under low-input conditions. Focus: insect pests & heat stress. Integrative approach using genomics, metabolomics & phenotyping. Lead at JKI: N. Austel and T. Will. Funded by #BMBF
🔗(🇩🇪): tinyurl.com/3ew5warz

Rubber-producing dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz). Photo: Helge Flüß/JKI

Dr René Kaiser from the JKI Institute for Breeding Research on Agricultural Crops. Photo: Sarah Barnert/JKI

Population structure and genetic diversity of rubber-producing #dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz) and other #Taraxacum species. Findings show weak population structure in TKS and higher diversity in related species, aiding future breeding and interspecific hybridization efforts.
tinyurl.com/23w8tuc3

Characterization and Potential Role of Fatty Acid-Solamine Conjugates in Plant Defense against Herbivores and Pathogens in Wild Potato Species The fatty acid-solamine conjugate C16:3(7Z,10Z,13Z)-solamine was isolated from leaves of the wild potato species Solanum bulbocastanum and structurally characterized using spectroscopic methods. The exogenous application of C16:3(7Z,10Z,13Z)-solamine reduced the feeding of Colorado potato beetles (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) and potato flea beetles (Epitrix papa) on Solanum tuberosum leaf disks and inhibited the germination of sporangia produced by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans and subsequent plant infection. The use of liquid chromatography-coupled tandem mass spectrometry enabled the detection and characterization of numerous acyl solamines in S. bulbocastanum leaves and in the belowground organs of numerous accessions of eight wild potato species and of cultivars of S. tuberosum. The annotated acyl solamines comprise medium- and long-chain fatty acyl solamines, whose acyl groups differ in chain length, the number of double bond equivalents, and the number of oxygenations, as well as hydroxycinnamoyl solamines. The profiles of the detected acyl solamines exhibited notable variation between different Solanum species, as well as between different tissues within a species. The potential role of acyl solamines in plant defense and their potential utility in plant protection and resistance breeding are discussed.

pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Kick-off of EU project #SCALE_it: upscaling alternatives to controversial inputs in #organic farming. Running 2025–2029, plant health work package led by JKI, co-led by #CIHEAM_Bari, with focus on reducing copper, mineral oil & spinosad in 8 crops.
#OrganicFuture #NatureBasedInputs #FiBL

The DMK Plant Protection Conference was opened by DMK Chairman Prof. Dr Enno Bahrs, JKI President Prof. Dr Frank Ordon and Dr Sabine Andert, Head of the JKI Institute for Plant Protection in Crops and Grassland (A). Photo: S. Barnert/JKI

Field trials and presentations at the JKI showcased innovations in weed control, herbicide tolerance and integrated strategies. Photo: F. Scholten-Buschhoff/DMK

Weed control in maize cultivation was examined from current perspectives, and the potential of undersowing to reduce weed pressure was demonstrated. Photo: S. Barnert/JKI

The event provided a valuable platform for exchange between practice and research to discuss current challenges and innovative solutions in crop protection. Photo: M. Küttner/JKI

At the annual #DMK Plant Protection Conference, experts from #agriculture, #research and #consulting discussed the challenges in #maize cultivation. Field trials & presentations at JKI showcased innovations in weed control, herbicide tolerance, and integrated strategies.
#DeutschenMaiskomitee

#Pentastiridius #leporinus poses a growing threat to sugar beet and potato crops by transmitting bacterial pathogens (e.g. #SBR). Integrated, cross-crop strategies and targeted monitoring are essential to mitigate economic and agronomic risks.
🔗 (🇩🇪): tinyurl.com/y5fjpxdw
#bassesrichesses #stolbur

📣 Are you in Berlin, Germany end of June? Join our host institution for their Open Day!
🗓️ 28 June ⏰ 14-20h 📍
Explore, connect & enjoy a peek behind the scenes. Everyone’s welcome! 🎉
@jki-research.bsky.social‬

On the associated demo plot, lentil varieties were grown with different companion crops.

Dr Frauke Germer and Dr Christoph Germeier – At the NutriNet project stand, JKI is represented with the WilGer project, which focuses on the evaluation of genetic resources for the breeding improvement of winter lentils in mixed cropping systems.

Dr Heiko Ziebell – current status of JKI virus monitoring in legumes: virus detection, transmission pathways, and practical recommendations.

Dr Janine König – the ResilientPea and DiPisum projects focus on pre-breeding and the genetic improvement of peas, specifically for resistance to fungal diseases.

JKI at the Öko-Feldtage (Organic Field Days) in Saxony! We are presenting #research on #organic #breeding and crop protection. Engaging discussions, expert visits, and strong interest marked day one. 📌Join us today until 6 pm if you are around!
oeko-feldtage.de/organic-fiel...
#Oekofeldtage #Sanitz

Fire blight on shoot with exudate. Image: Klaus Richter/JKI

Fire blight (Erwinia amylovora): Symptoms on apple. Image: Annette Wensing/JKI

New Approaches in Organic Plant Protection: Phage Derivatives Against #FireBlight and Microbial Priming in Lettuce. JKI projects “ABBAonFire” and “Resist” focus on harnessing natural organisms to sustainably combat plant diseases in #organicfarming and to promote #planthealth.
tinyurl.com/8wwm94t7

The Wheat Initiative Jamboree has started today! Kindly hosted by INIA, Uruguay @INIA_UY, the community is looking forward to a fruitful 3 day meeting!
‪@wheatis.bsky.social
‪‪@cimmyt.bsky.social‬ ‬
@jki-research.bsky.social‬
@karchuntan.bsky.social

JKI-Bienenschützer beteiligt an erstem bundesweiten Bürgerwissenschaftsprojekt zu Pflanzenvielfalt in Gärten Die Universität Leipzig, der Bundesverband der Kleingartenvereine und das JKI erfassen im GartenDiv-Projekt die pflanzliche Diversität in Deutschlands Gärten mit Hilfe der speziell angepassten Flora-I...

@markgraefin.bsky.social
Dies ist ein aktuelles Citizen-Science-Projekt zum Wildbienenschutz: www.julius-kuehn.de/aktuelles/ak...